<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>heliotropium by dinofcker</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26088973">heliotropium</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/dinofcker/pseuds/dinofcker'>dinofcker</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic Fluff, Flowers, Living Together, M/M, Post-Canon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:01:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,029</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26088973</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/dinofcker/pseuds/dinofcker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p></p><blockquote>
  <p><br/>Kei made sure to leave it on the spot, knowing the flower preferred full sun. During summer, he cast it aside, only allowing afternoon shades to touch it. </p>
  <p>To Tadashi, it smelled like almonds. </p>
  <p>To Kei, it smelled like cherry pie.</p>
</blockquote>sometimes it's just you and your boyfriend living together.
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>105</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>TsukkiYama Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>heliotropium</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Tadashi watched his hand rise along with Kei’s chest. He felt the pulse underneath, thumping softly onto his palm. Kei shifts, breathing in deeply. Tadashi presses a kiss on his naked shoulder, shirts were tossed away in the middle of the night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“G’morning.” Kei’s voice, raspy and tired, vibrates in Tadashi’s ears. His back shivers with excitement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Morning.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you sleep?” Kei rubs the side of his face, sleep still glued on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not really.” It was too hot to sleep, summer making its way in the middle of the month. Kei turns, pulling in Tadashi close to press a kiss on his nose. “Sleep.” His head buries itself on Tadashi’s shoulder, his hot breath heating his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi runs his hands on the blonde’s back, up until he reaches the ends of his hair. His fingers run deeply on his scalp, massing a spot on the back. He can feel Kei lax, his sighing in contempt makes his stomach flip over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a bit of an almond scent in their room. White walls and curtains, clothes strewn on the floor beside their bed. When the going got tough, they were too lazy to put their clothes back in the hampers or drawers. It’s not a habit. Yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sun did too good of a job, showcasing a purple flower in front of the window. Enwrapping the entire pot with a golden glow, petals brighter and almost transparent. There wasn’t much color in their room, but that flower was everything to them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi thought it was silly buying a dinosaur pot, thinking it might have been too childish. But the reaction was memorable, Kei geeking out and pouring dirt into it. He fussed, filled with trepidation, measuring dirt and water when the seed was placed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyday he’d measure the stem, recording each leaf and the days it took to bloom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s cute, Tadashi thought. Kei kept a plant diary, pictures printed and stickers stuck on each page. Numbers and lines protruded, measurements on the sides. There were red, blue, and black colored inks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei made sure to leave it on the spot, knowing the flower preferred full sun. During summer, he cast it aside, only allowing afternoon shades to touch it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>To Tadashi, it smelled like almonds. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>To Kei, it smelled like cherry pie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kei.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shifts in his sleep, his head pressed against the freckled chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kei.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want for lunch?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it afternoon already?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi tries his best to turn around, his eyes squinting at the alarm clock. The numbers formed together, unable to distinguish a single one. He turns back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei shrugs. “Let’s just sleep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If we stay in bed any longer, it’ll be nighttime.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckles into Kei’s floofy hair, tiny strands tickling his nose. The smell of Heliotrope overpowered the sweat and shampoo from the night before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want to shower together?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes please.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tadashi had half a mind reading the instructions on the box. He knew how to make pasta, but the numbers and words were incoherent. Sleep stung around the edges of his eyes. There’s a slight numbness in the back of his head, cogwheels turning. Incoherent sentences form strings of code he wasn’t taught yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He may be a tech nerd, but definitely not a cook.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tadashi.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want take out instead?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi looked at the steps again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you craving?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi smiles, his fingertips trailing along the line of his pants. His stomach churns, breathing him in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sushi.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei taps on his phone. “We got half an hour.” Kei’s phone taps the counter. “Wanna cuddle in the meantime?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi smiles, tiptoeing up to catch his lips. Pressing lightly, his tongue lightly sliding his bottom lip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds good to me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The screen title was cheesy, Tadashi admits, but it’s Kei’s favorite classics. He’ll sit and watch through a documentary on youtube with 480p resolution. He loves the diversity of faces Kei pulls. He wants to kiss his pouts away, smiles when Kei laughs, tears peeking out from the corners of his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think about us when the world is ending?” Kei pops a piece of sushi into his mouth. A tiny crunch from the fried tempura in it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi looks away, sipping from his soda. “Kind of. I think we’ll be that couple who manages to survive until someone else shows up and tries to boss us around.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei laughs. “Me too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There are cgi spiders running rampant in a small town, jumping and striding into a mall full of a group of citizens. Small town in the desert, yet they built a mall. As if anyone would go that far to shop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why’d they build a mall again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei takes his hand, his fingers stroke along the lines of his palms. “The mayor thought it’d be good for tourists.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pfft.” Tadashi’s hands tickle under contact, a light breeze passes behind the back of his neck. Hair rising, goosebumps on his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want more?” Kei nods to his empty cup.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi shakes his head. “No.” He pulls his hand away, leaning onto his boyfriend. Arms wrapped around him, his head resting against his chest. His ear captures the heart thumps and rumbles of Kei’s laughs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Call him a starry-eyed lovey-dovey boyfriend, he can’t help but press a few kisses underneath Kei’s chin, tickling him with his lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tadashi-” Kei laughs. “That tickles.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, sorry.” Tadashi half-apologizes, his hands cupping Kei’s cheek, turning him to press a kiss.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s a glob of wasabi on the corner of their plates, left untouched. Kei only used it to swirl in with his soy sauce, but Tadashi avoided it like he was allergic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Remember when you dared me to eat a spoonful of wasabi the first time I had sushi?” Tadashi pushes it around, watching it smear with a toothpick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei’s head bops Tadashi’s. “Yeah, and you never had it again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi let go of the toothpick, a small clink on the plastic plate. The end credits of the movie are nowhere near done. They sat in comfortable silence, scrolling mindlessly on their phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Remember when I got a kidney stone after you dared me to drink a packet of soy sauce?” Kei lightly holds his elbow, showing him a picture of Kei in a hospital bed. He’s giving the camera a thumbs up while Tadashi kisses his cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh god! It was so funny seeing you high on morphine.” Tadashi takes the phone, scrolling to the next picture. “You didn’t show the teachers the doctor’s note, you just went to school like nothing happened.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There they were, Kei drooling on Tadashi, his arms wrapped around him. Tadashi was on his phone, most likely playing a mobile game.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was idyllic, I don’t know what you mean.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was far from that and you know it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei wraps an arm around his waist, rubbing a thumb across the hem of his shorts. “Well, I had you so nothing went wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi chuckles, putting the phone on the coffee table. “We had each other.” He laxes in his hold, a sigh of contempt leaving his lips. “We take care of one another no matter what.”</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kei pulls out a ruler, measuring the height of his flower.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How tall is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“2.5 feet.” He says proudly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi walks behind, his arms encircling his stomach. “She’s tall.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei is bent, scribbling in his small notebook. “She’s beautiful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi hums.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dinner?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei looks at the clock. 7:30 pm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a certain warmth he gets with Tadashi, always loving and welcoming. It was a deep breath you take when you’re at the top of the mountains. The fresh air sinking into your lungs, rejuvenating and refreshing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The glass of ice cold water sending shivers along your back, the hairs rising on the back of your neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Music that makes your whole body tremble with excitement, head slowly bobbing along the calming beats.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei felt like he was drowning in an ocean.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He loved it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want spaghetti or lasagna?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi presses a small kiss on his back. “How about mac n cheese?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei turns around, kissing his forehead. Hot lips meeting his cool head. It was a blazing pool of fire, searing into his veins. The curtains move with the wind, tickling the sides of his forearms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Should I make some sweet potatoes for dessert?” He mumbles, tickling their lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That sounds delicious.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tadashi hates frying, he hates the oil that bursts out of the fryer, almost burning the hairs off his arms. No one likes to get burned, especially by that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not gonna kill you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi hisses. “Are you kidding? That thing wants to melt my hand off!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei smiles, shaking the basket off of excess oil. “They’re ready.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whose hand are you gonna hold if mines are gone, huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei rolls his eyes playfully. “You have two of them, dummy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi looks at his hands, the ring on his finger missing. “Oh crap, I forgot my ring.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Put it on later.” Kei hands him a plate full of sweet potato fries, crisp on the outside. Just the way he likes it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’re not married, they can’t. Japan still hasn’t legalized it, but they can adopt each other to keep their last name. That’s another topic Tadashi doesn’t like, not because it’s harmful, oh no. It’s quite the opposite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It always ends in a funny bout.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I still think you should take my last name.” Kei points over to him with his fork, cheesy at the tips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi stabs his food. “Tsukishima Tadashi?” The sweet savory flavor of sweet potato bursts into his mouth. His tongue is on fire, but the taste is magnificent. “Too many T’s.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei does the unthinkable. The action only done in private, he rather be a lobster tossed in a boiling pot than to be caught doing it outside of his confined walls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei snorts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And Yamaguchi Kei isn’t weird?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi squinches an eye. “I’m not taking your last name!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay but think of it this way-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kei-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My name literally means moon island.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your name means mountain entrance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi raises a brow. “What are you getting at, Kei?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei shrugs, passively rolling around the last potato on his plate. It’s a strange combination, mac and cheese, a childish meal for two inadequate adults. Kei thinks it’s perfect. He and Tadashi complete each other. They’re sweet and savory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two peas in a pod?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, more like two soggy french fries left on a tray.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just think someone calling you ‘Tsukki’ would be better than me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh.” Tadashi thinks it over. “You make a good point.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had this same argument over and over, at least twice a week. Maybe now they have a resolution, they both can’t tell. They’ll just have to wait for next week when it’s brought up again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just like this week.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If we were fairy tale characters, who would we be?” Tadashi flicked a dust bunny across the desk. Watching tiny spectacles of lint fly across the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm.” Kei measures his plant, the height grew significantly by half a foot. It was a huge shock one morning looking at the flower at a full 3 feet. Tadashi couldn’t believe the thing was still going even when summer was taking over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I’d be the Cheshire Cat.” The pen in his hand flows across the pages. The book was nearly at the end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I’d be Alice.” Tadashi’s legs straddled the desk chair, his arms on the headrest. He peeped over, watching, admiring the fine lines of Kei’s back as he bends over the night table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei stands up, stretching his back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wonder if it would be reversed.” Kei thinks aloud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi considers it. “That could happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’re both stiff, exhausted. Work has cut into their personal time, there’s barely any left to relax. Tadashi doesn’t like sleeping alone in bed, he prefers to nap uncomfortably on the couch than to have a big empty space beside him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Might as well sleep in a coffin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t think like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi looks up, surprised. “Did I say that out loud?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” Kei slaps the book closed. “But I can hear you think.” He sits on the edge of the bed, patting the spot next to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi doesn’t waste a single second. “I miss you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m right here.” Kei wraps his arm around him, falling back together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just wish we could spend more time together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei breathes deeply, nose buried in his hair. “I miss you too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi stays in his arms, hands clinging to his back. The flower gently waved to him, wind shuffling under his clothes. Heliotrope. That was the name of it, Tadashi remembers it by heart, he may as well have it tattooed on his arm. He knew Kei took great care of  it, watching it sprout and bloom at an unexpected rate, it was as if the flower itself found a soulmate in them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They fit each other perfect, the flower in their small apartment was the only colorful bundle of joy they needed. Kei would take the fallen leaves, glue them in his notebook, the smell of almonds or cherry pie, neither can win the debate about it, whiffed in their faces whenever it was opened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I still think that plant smells like almonds.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei blows a raspberry into his neck, giggles filling the little space in between them. “You know once we have this debate, it’ll end in a makeout session cause neither of us can win.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi curls a hand on his cheek. “So let’s just kiss now instead of later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, please.”</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s a still silence in the living room. Tadashi used to hate it, he used to think everyone was annoyed at him, ignoring him. It was nothing like that, at least now he knows Kei absolutely adores him and will even clean the bathroom to admit it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That wasn’t the main problem.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was alone for tonight. Kei had late night training with his team, calling him to apologize profusely ahead of time. Of course Tadashi isn’t mad or upset about it, there are things out of his control and he’s okay with that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he had to eat dinner by himself, and that was no easy task. He took his time, thinking of trying out a new recipe, though the last time he tried to be adventurous, he was stuck in bed all afternoon. It was worth it in his head, despite his grumbling stomach. All of that went down the drain when he saw he had to work early tomorrow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That meant one thing: he won’t see Kei until tomorrow evening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yes, he’ll see him in bed in the morning, but that didn’t count. He wanted to be in his arms, sleep talking and mumbling tiny whispers of love into his ear. Instead, he’ll have to settle for rushing out of bed and enter a cold shower just to keep himself from dozing off. He’s never been late for work, and he’s not about to start.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As much as he loves Kei, he needs his job if they have any plans of buying a house in the next decade.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Next decade. Maybe more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Who is he kidding? There’ll always be more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Summer was settling in, it vexed him he was feeling cold in bed. The AC wasn’t turned on yet, he’s fickle with electricity. He learned to be cautious, tedious of owning a place. Dusting every corner and shelf, scraping off rust and signs of dirt gathering. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Responsibility was shared between them. Sunday mornings and afternoons spent on chores, laundry piles were off the floor. They built a bridge to an island just for them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought you were trying to sleep?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi sat up quickly. “Kei! Oh my god, you scared me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t hear the front door open? That’s concerning.” Kei collapsed on the spot next to him, urging Tadashi to join him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi slid under his arm, his hands squeezing it tightly. “You’re home early.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei’s eyes closed, not that it was any better than looking in the dark. There wasn’t any light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I left early.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why? Did something happen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei shook his head. “I missed you too much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sap.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei shifted to rest on his side, pulling Tadashi close to his chest. The collar around his shirt smelled like sweat. “I need to shower, wanna join?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tadashi already took one. “Sure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he’ll do it again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Kei?” Tadashi pulls his shirt over his head, folding them neatly on the counter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm?” Kei turns on the hot water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think we’ll still be together in 10 years?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kei swings around, his arms closing tightly around Tadashi’s waist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think we’ll be together for as long as we live.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Even in our next life?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Even in our next life.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tadashi liked the way Kei wrapped his arms while sleeping in the crook of his neck. The way he breathed on his skin, his backside of his shirt slightly shifting along with it. He looks at the time. There’s about 10 minutes left before he has to get up and work. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tiny star from the side of the window catches his attention. It hides behind the flourishing flower, peeking over to catch a glimpse into his window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Heliotrope.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He remembers why Kei chose the seeds while out shopping for groceries. It slipped his mind before, never knowing why it was easily forgotten. Maybe he remembered it while cooking for the grandkids, or the night his child got married to a wonderful volleyball player Hinata and Kageyama adopted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Things slip through minds, as easily as water when you cup it. The thin cracks never cover up fully, everything falls through eventually. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, not everything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Almost anything, but not Kei and Tadashi. They were in bed, watching the sunset from their backyard’s patio. The shade cooled only his shoulder, legs feeling hot and itchy from coming into contact with grass.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That explains why their wedding invitations came with purple petals from their garden of flowers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Purple is your favorite color.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>